Monday, April 4, 2016

- You gotta ...

I was trying something new: sandwiching a very fine cotton between two fine linens, then stitching text through all three layers ...

Patch #95

Unlike my usual MO of printing words by hand, I used a word stamp, then back stitched it with a single strand of cotton floss. Unsure about how the open weave of the linen would hold the stitches, I ended up pleasantly surprised. So I'm now ready to move on with the project for which this was but a trial. As for the word stamp that I grabbed out of the box? I guess it turned out to be the perfect word for today ...

Once again, I walked through wildflowers, taking more pictures than you probably care to see (so I'll reduce the size to make scrolling quicker) ...

16 comments:

Todays patch is simply beautiful! I love how the cotton fabric shines through the linen. Also, thank you for identifying the Texas Blindweed, they are some of my favorites, but my mom and I always thought they were wild Morning Glories. Seems like I learn something new every day!

Thanks ... love when you come by. Please take my plant identifications with a large grain of salt. In fact, corrections are always welcome. All the names are linked to the Wildflower Center database, by the way.

Hi I was trying to track down the same information, here is some feedback from a friend who went recently.So glad to have seen a photo of milkweed we don't get it here and I always wondered what it looked like.So, New Orleans! I would recommend going for no more than about 4 days really. That's the amount of time we were there for and whilst we had a good time we sort of felt like we had seen most of the stuff we wanted to by the end. Most of the action is in the French Quarter so you are best of staying around there. We stayed in Maringy which I would definitely recommend as it is just outside the French Quarter but a bit calmer, you also have Frenchman Street there which has lots of great music venues and food, also, an arts market which is open till 2am!The main street where people congregate in the French Quarter is Bourbon Street. Be warned though, its pretty crazy. A lot of stag and hen parties and people drinking 24/7. However, I don't want this to put you off as there are other lovely streets in the French Quarter and it's generally a very pretty little area. Outside of the French Quarter, a streetcars ride away is the Garden District which is another pretty area. Lots of beautiful houses, pretty gardens and oak lined streets. Magazine Street is worth checking out. Also, theres a famous restaurant in the same area called Commanders Palace which is a bit pricey, has a dress code but is worth it in my opinion. I recommend the jazz brunch at the weekends! There is a cemetery across the street which is also worth a wander round. I regret not doing a cemetery tour myself.As far as other things to do, I would try and get on on of the tours around The french quarter ( I think some are free). Also. we really enjoyed doing a swamp tour, there are tour shops everywhere so very easy to get on one. Definitely go and see some live music. Frenchman Street is the best for this although there are places dotted all around the French Quarter. I loved Spotted Cat in Frenchman Street most of all. Food! New Orleans is big on food. We went to a really great cafe in Marigny for breakfast called Cake Cafe and Bakery. Have a crawfish boil somewhere if you can. Cafe au Lait and Beignets (a type of doughnut) and Cafe du Monde, don't go at peak hours though as it's crazy busy and it's open 24/7. Try a Muffaletta and a Po Boy (sandwiches). Theres also a nice little cocktail bar called Sylvains, which is worth a stop in. There are tons of great places to eat so I won't name them all, but I would say avoid Bourbon Street for food if you can, it can be a bit touristy. Hope that helps/

Old Man Crow & I had the best 24 hours ever in New Orleans, stayed in the French Quarter, the music is everywhere 24/7, Bourbon St is wild, the magic is deep and wide as the Mississippi with a delightful frisson of danger lying just below the surface. I believe New Orleans holds the heart and soul of America and was told that if you're "good" in this lifetime you get to be born in New Orleans in the next... that was in 1999 before Hurricane Katrina

Enjoyed reading Debbie and Mo's comments about New Orleans: You and Don will have a fabulous time. We visited this magical, enchanting city in September, 2007 to celebrate my 60th birthday. No other city in the US pulses with old world charm, magic and mystery as does New Orleans. We had wanted to visit for some time but after Katrina, it became even more of a desire to go and support this city.

We stayed in the garden district at a Hampton Inn,a very special area of lovely old homes but most places in the French quarter and around the center, have lovely old homes with iron grilled balconies that make you want to lose all inhibitions and flaunt yourself over the railings!

Music is part of the air you breathe in New Orleans and jazz is the flow. Preservation Hall is the venerable place for music as well as many other venues. One morning we had the time of our life, me dancing, Rich clapping to several youth jazz bands participating in an event at the National Park Service Museum. Painted on one wall is a quote by beloved New Orleans's native, Louis Armstrong. "Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it." Jazz bands play nearly every day and saunter down streets.

For my birthday gift, Rich bought me a long, long bright yellow feather boa and I just loved it, sashaying down every street that we traveled. Loved that feather boa even more than the beaded necklaces thrown from balconies in Bourbon St. I never did what you are supposed to do to get one but they threw them down anyway!

If you and Don get a chance,join in and become second liners. Second line refers to people who join in marching along the many bands that perform daily down the streets. These bands are an old tradition. My brother in law had died in the summer of 2007 and since he was a jazz fan, I joined in a second line as a way of honoring him.

Debbie covered the sights and food excellently. Cafe du Mond is a definite must and for the best Muffuletta sandwich, go to Central Grocery Company in the French Quarter on Decatur St.

Jackson Square is a fascinating area, the oldest Catholic cathedral in the US is located there,St. Louis Cathedral. It also contains the Louisiana State Museum and as part of that museum is the Cabildo, containing three stories of fascinating exhibits from the Indians, Spanish, French, the Louisiana Purchase, Civil War, agri- economic exhibits of Louisiana and when we were there, a very moving and poignant exhibit of Katrina.

St. Peter's Square, also in this area is other worldly at night when tables come out and artists, fortune tellers, tarot card readers and palm readers fill the square.

The last thing that we did in New Orleans was take a riverboat ride down the Mississippi. It was heartbreaking to see some of the damage to several of the wards as we sailed by. The Natchez, the steamboat in question had a Calliope on top and as we cruised down, music accompanied our journey.

Artist websites

The Peace Pin Project

Click the peace pin picture to learn how the project began. To see more images of the original pins, which were sent to more than 70 individuals in half a dozen countries and 19 states in the US, scroll down to the INDEX and click on the PEACE PIN PROJECT link.

Mo's Project: "I dream of a world where love is the answer"

A collaborative effort in which creative souls around the world are making talismans to be stitched onto the branches of a dreaming tree. Just click the picture to see Mo's blog posts that will ultimately lead to her "Braille of the Soul" show at Artsite in March 2019. My contribution to the project can be tracked by going to the INDEX (below) and clicking on the link "I dream of a world where love is the answer."

Blanco River Monument Project

To learn more about the project go to http://www.blancorivermonument.com/ ... to read more on this blog, click the image.

The Hearts for Charleston Quilt Project

Click on the heart image (above) to see posts about the Hearts for Charleston project on Dee Mallon's blog. To see posts on this blog, click the Hearts for Charleston link in the INDEX.

It's a long way from Williamsburg, Virginia to the Texas Hill Country, but I've never looked back. Instead, my days are full of stitching, natural dyeing, assemblage art appreciation, grandparenting, cactus whacking, Americana music and Tex-Mex cooking ... not to mention wildflowers and critters.
As local bard Robert Earl Keen says, "The road goes on forever & the party never ends."